ezzell



March 10, 1964 F. EZZELL 3,124,384

COIL sT'ACKER HEAD Filed Oct. 26, 1962 5 SheetS-Shet 1 so v ' amer A5226# INVENTOR. fr 1% ff j@ J A WJ March l0, 1964 L.. F. Ezzl-:LL

COIL STACKER HEAD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 26, 1962 a. i M

r' 3,124,384 Ice Patented Mar. 1o, 1964 3,124,354 CGE STACKER HEAD Luther F. Ezsell, Houston, Tex., assigner to Anderson,

Clayton @t Co., Houston, Tex., a corperation of Delaware Filed (1ct. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 233,411 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-83) The present invention relates to an apparatus lfor engaging, lifting, and moving objects and more particularly relates to a stacker having a variable head for engagmg and moving metal coils and the like having various sized coil openings. This application is an improvement to my copendin'g application entitled Coil Stacker Head, tiled J une 14, 1962, Serial No. 202,439.

Sheet metal material is normally produced in rolls varying in weight from approximately 5000 to 50,000 pounds or more. In the past a great deal of difficulty has been experienced in handling the rolled sheet material because of its weight. My above named copending application discloses an apparatus which engages, lifts, and moves rolled sheet metal material from one location to another. The present invention is directed to an improvement in that apparatus by providing a coil stacker having a pickup head which may be readily adjustable for extending into various sized central coil openings. That is, the present variable head is adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly relative to the axis of the head to adjust to the opening of the rolled coil and thus can adjust to the coil opening of various sized coils. In sp1te of the fact that different rolls of sheet material will have diiferent sized central coil openings, the present variable stacker head will readily adapt to the central coil opening for thereafter engaging, lifting, and moving the coil.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a variable coil stacker head that is adapted to handle rolled sheet material having various sized central roll openings.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a variable head stacker which includes a plurality of downwardly directed arms which may be simultaneously and equally moved a desired distance inwardly or outwardly so as to engage various sized central coil openings.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a variable coil stacker head which includes a plurality of radially extending tracks on which are movably supported engaging arms and includes a power means for moving the arms inwardly and outwardly simultaneously and in equal amounts.

Yet a further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved variable coil stacker head which includes a plurality of movable engaging arms which have a rack gear attached thereto and includes a pair of meshed gears positioned between adjacent rack gears for moving all of the arms in the same direction and the same distances.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, given for the purpose of disclosure, and taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like character references designate like parts throughout the several views, and where- FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus showing the present invention mounted thereon,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional View along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l and illustrates the traveling carrier and variable head of the present invention,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the variable head of the present invention,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6 6 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the coil stacker as shown by my copending patent application Serial No. 202,439 is generally referred to by the numeral 10 and is shown as including and being supported on a suitable frame 12 which is adapted to provide a rotating movement of the movable arm 14 as well as a vertical movement of the carrier 16 so that a coil of material 20 carried thereon can be moved to a desired location.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, a plurality of rollers 1S are carried by the frame 12 to provide a table for receiving a coil of material 20. A rotatable member 22 is connected to the frame 12 and rotatably carries the movable arm 14 by any suitable means such as motor 24- and gears 26 and 28. Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the carrier frame 16 is adapted to be supported for vertical movement by the side support members 30 and 32 which are in turn carried by arm 14. Means for lifting the carrier frame 16 are provided such as chain 34 which is secured at one end to the carrier 16 and which extends upwardly between the side support members 30 and 32 and loops over a pulley 36. The second end of the chain 34 is connected to a piston rod 38, which piston rod is connected with a piston (not shown) in the double acting fluid cylinder and piston assembly 40 which in turn is connected to the movable arm 14. Thus, as the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 40 is actuated the chain 34 is actuated to move the carrier 16 vertically as desired.

Generally, the above described apparatus is disclosed in my copending application. The present improvement is directed to a movable gripping variable head generally indicated by the numeral 42 which is adapted to be moved inwardly and outwardly so as to be sized to be positioned in central openings for various sized metal coils thereby engaging the coils 20 and hold them as they are lifted or moved, and thereafter retract and release the coils after they have been moved to a predetermined location.

Referring now to FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 6, the variable head 42 includes a plurality of horizontally extending supports or tracks 46, preferably radially extending from the center of the carrier 16. Tracks 46 are connected to and supported from the carrier 16. A fluid cylinder and piston assembly 44, the cylinder of which is connected to and supported from the carrier 16 is provided. A piston rod 48 extends through the hub 49 which connccts the tracks 46, but is not connected thereto, and is for a purpose which will be described hereinafter. Thus, the vertical movement of the tracks 46 is controlled solely by the vertical movement of the carrier 16.

Directed downwardly from each of the radially extending tracks 46 is an engaging arm 50. The arms 50 are slidably movable along the radially extending tracks 46, preferably by a plurality of rollers 52 (FIGURE 5), on both the top and bottom of said tracks. Thus the arms 50 may be moved inwardly and outwardly relative to the vertical axis of the carrier 16 so as to lit the size of the central opening in the metal coil 20.

Pivotally secured to each of the arms 50 at their lower ends are lateral projections S4. A plurality of connecting links 56 are connected between each lateral projection S4 and the piston rod 4S whereby the projections are moved laterally under and engage the underside of coil 20 and may be retracted inwardly to release coil 20 as desired.

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Referring now to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the mechanism for moving the arms 50 simultaneously and equal distances inwardly and outwardly in order to engage various sized coil openings is best seen. At least one double acting uid cylinder and piston assembly 6i), and preterably two, is pivotally connected to the movable carrier 16 and to one of the arms Si). Thus, as the iluid cylinder and piston assemblies 60 are actuated the connected arms 50 will travel along the supports or tracks 456. However, it is desirable that all of the arms 50 travel simultanei' ously and in equal distances so as to coact with a central opening in the coil 20. Thus, a gear rack 62 may be attached to opposite sides of each of the arms Sil. A pair of equal diameter meshing gears 64 carried by the carrier 16 mesh with adjacent gear racks 62. on adjacent arms 50. Thus, as one of the arms Si) is moved inwardly or outwardly the other arms 50 will simultaneously move inwardly and outwardly an equal distance. Thus, the arms Sil can be conveniently moved with reference to the central opening of a metal coil 2t? so as to engage and aid in positioning and engaging the coil 20.

In operation, and as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the apparatus 1li has moved down into engagement with the coil 20. In this position the lateral projection means 54 and arms 5t) have been expanded so that the coil 20 is engaged and supported as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The coil 2t? may then be lifted oilC of the rollers 18 by actuating the piston and cylinder assembly 4,0 which pulls the chain 34 and raises the entire carrier 16 thereby lifting the coil Ztl. And of course the arm 14 may be rotated by actuation of the motor 24 which will rotate the coil to the .desired position. The cylinder and piston assembly 40 can then be actuated to lower the coil 20 to a predetermined desired position.

At this point, it is noted that the arms 50 are adjacent to and hold the coil 2i) aligned in the desired location. The piston and cylinder assembly 44 (FIGURES 2, 3 and 6) may then be actuated to pull the piston rod 48 upwardly thereby pivoting the projections 54 inwardly and releasing the coil 2i). During the movement of projections 54, the coil will not be moved from its aligned position since the depending arms 50 will securely hold the coil 20 in a horizontal position. After the projections 54 have been disengaged from the coil 20, the piston and cylinder assemblies 60 (FIGURE 4) may be actuated to move the arms Sti inwardly and disengage them from the coil 20 so that the apparatus 1? is then entirely disengaged from the coil 20.

In engaging, lifting, and moving a coil 20 the reversed operation is performed. That is, with the projections 54 in a retracted position the arms 5G are moved into the central opening of a coil 2t) and the cylinder and piston assembly 60 are actuated. The arms 50 and the gears 64 move in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIGURE 4 and up against the circumference of the central opening of the coil 20. Thus, the arms may be snugly and securely positioned against the inside of the coil 20 so that the projections 54 may be wedged thoroughly under the coil 2i). The piston and cylinder assembly 44 is then actuated to move the piston rod 43 downwardly causing the levers 56 to move the projections 54 under the coil Ztl so as to engage and hold the coil 20 for vertical movement. The carrier la may then be vertically raised again by operation or" the piston and cylinder assembly 4l) (FIGURE 1) and the arm 14 may be rotated to the desired position.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The improvement in a coil stacker head for cngaging, moving, and releasing metal coils and the like which includes a vertically movable support carrier comprising,

a plurality of horizontally extending supporting tracks carried by the support carrier and extending radially outwardly from the vertical axis of said carrier,

a downwardly depending arm movably supported from each track,

laterally expanding projection means pivotally mounted at the lower end of each of said arms for engaging the bottom of a coil,

power means mounted on said carrier and connected with said projections for moving said projections laterally to a coil engaging position and for retracting said projections from engagement with a coil,

at least one fluid piston and cylinder assembly one end of which is connected to the carrier and other end of which is connected to one of said arms,

a rack gear connected on each side of each of said depending arms,

a pair of meshing gears positioned between adjacent arms and meshed with adjacent rack gears whereby all of said arms are moved an equal distance.

2. The improvement in a coil stacker head for engaging, moving and releasing metal coils and the` like which includes a vertically movable support carrier comprising,

a plurality of horizontally extending supporting tracks carried by the support carrier and extending radially outwardly from thevertical axis of said carrier,

a downwardly depending arm movably supported from each track,

projection means pivotally mounted at the lower end of each of said arms for being expanded laterally outward in a radial direction for engaging the bottom of a coil,

first power means mounted on said carrier for moving said depending arms inwardly and outwardly for being positioned in various size central openings of coils,

means connected to each of said arms and to said power means for moving all` of saidarms simultaneously an equal distance and in the same radial direction,

second power means mounted on the vertical axis of said carrier and connected to said projections for moving said projections laterally to a coil engaging position and for retracting said projections from engagement with'a coil.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for moving all of the arms simultaneously an equal distance includes,

a rack gear connected on each side of each of said depending arms and a pair of meshing gears positioned between each adjacent arm and meshing witht'adjacent rack gears whereby all of said arms are moved an equal distance in the same radial direction;l

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,351 Wallace June 6, 1916 2,642,307 Olson June 16, 1953 2,841,300 Berquist July l, 1958 

2. THE IMPROVEMENT IN A COIL STACKER HEAD FOR ENGAGING, MOVING AND RELEASING METAL COILS AND THE LIKE WHICH INCLUDES A VERTICALLY MOVABLE SUPPORT CARRIER COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING SUPPORTING TRACKS CARRIED BY THE SUPPORT CARRIER AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CARRIER, A DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING ARM MOVABLY SUPPORTED FROM EACH TRACK, PROJECTION MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE LOWER END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS FOR BEING EXPANDED LATERALLY OUTWARD IN A RADIAL DIRECTION FOR ENGAGING THE BOTTOM OF A COIL, FIRST POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER FOR MOVING SAID DEPENDING ARMS INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FOR BEING POSITIONED IN VARIOUS SIZE CENTRAL OPENINGS OF COILS, MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID ARMS AND TO SAID POWER MEANS FOR MOVING ALL OF SAID ARMS SIMULTANEOUSLY AN EQUAL DISTANCE AND IN THE SAME RADIAL DIRECTION, SECOND POWER MEANS MOUNTED ON THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CARRIER AND CONNECTED TO SAID PROJECTIONS FOR MOVING SAID PROJECTIONS LATERALLY TO A COIL ENGAGING POSITION AND FOR RETRACTING SAID PROJECTIONS FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH A COIL. 